SEPTEMBER COOKING CLASS

 Eggnog Bread (dark)

Cream together:

½ cup butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

Add:

3 eggs

¼ c molasses

Combine and add dry ingredients

alternating with 1 cup eggnog

3 cups flour (sifted)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp nutmeg

Grease and flour loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes. If using small loaf pans bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Let stand in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely.

Drizzle glaze over bread.

EGGNOG BREAD (LIGHT)

LOAF:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup eggnog (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla (or eggnog extract, if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon rum extract, optional

EGGNOG ICING
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
2 to 3 teaspoons eggnog

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, eggnog, melted butter, vanilla, and rum extract (if using). Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).

4. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes. Check for done-ness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf -- it should come out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.

5. Prepare icing: Combine sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg. Stir in enough eggnog to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle cooled loaf with icing. Grate a little bit of fresh nutmeg over the icing, then let icing set completely before wrapping loaf.

Éclair Cake

2 small boxes of vanilla pudding  ¼ c powdered sugar
3 cups milk     1 can prepared chocolate icing
8 oz Cool whip     1 box graham crackers
Mix pudding with 3 cups milk, 8 oz. of Cool Whip, and the ¼ c powdered sugar; let stand for a few minutes. Layer in 9x13 pan: whole graham crackers to line the bottom of the pan; ½ of the pudding mixture; second layer of graham crackers; remaining pudding mixture; third layer of graham crackers. Melt the container of chocolate icing in the microwave for a few seconds to get it soft and kind of runny.  Spread the icing on top of the last layer of graham cracker.  This cake needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before serving so graham crackers get soft like an éclair.  I like to make it the day before the event.

Pecan Shortbread Crust

2 cups flour
1 cube butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix ingredients together and press into 2, 9 inch pie shells.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Cream Pie Filling
1 large instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
1 qt heavy cream
Mix milk with vanilla pudding.  Beat in heavy cream until thick and fluffy.  Add toasted coconut or bananas and top with whipped cream.
-Kristina Christensen

Dipped Gingersnaps
1 cup oil   4 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar   1 tsp salt
2 eggs    2 tsp ginger
½ cup molasses   2 tsp cinnamon
4 ½ cups flour
Cream wet stuff.  Add dry ingredients to wet.  Roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar and bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.  (If making small cookies bake closer to 5 minutes. Larger ones need to cook closer to 10 min.)  Cool.  When cookies are cool, melt 1 package almond bark (vanilla) or white chocolate chips, with 2 TBS shortening in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes.  Stir till smooth.  Dip half of each cookie in white chocolate.  Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Freeze for 5-10 minutes.  Take out of freezer.  Eat and enjoy!!
-Shamayne Cram